Giannis Antetokounmpo makes his preseason debut in Abu Dhabi as Bucks lose to Atlanta Hawks

The Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks played the first game between two NBA teams in the Middle East at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday afternoon. Both teams elected to play their starters to open the contest, but Hawks head coach Nate McMillan said he wanted his key players to play 24-30 minutes. The Bucks kept their top players to under 24 minutes and the result was a 123-113 Hawks victory.

Giannis make his debut

From the moment the Bucks returned to Milwaukee to begin their season with media day Sept. 25, head coach Mike Budenholzer said they were going to be cautious with Giannis Antetokounmpo because he played a competitive European schedule in the summer. Antetokounmpo sat out the preseason opener Oct. 1 against Memphis, but the NBA fully expected the two-time most valuable player and global superstar to play in at least one of the games in Abu Dhabi.

There is a reason the Bucks are there, after all.

Antetokounmpo started and played the first five minutes, going 1-for-4 from the floor and 3-for-4 from the free throw line. His first shot was a catch-and-shoot three-pointer off a kickout from a driving Grayson Allen, and Antetokounmpo also worked on midrange jumpers. He picked his spots to drive into traffic, resulting in the trips to the free throw line.

Antetokounmpo was more aggressive in the second half, hitting the floor hard after charging into Hawks center Clint Capela and then fighting through a triple-team for a put-back.

Box score: Hawks 123, Bucks 113

The 27-year-old Bucks star played 21 minutes over three quarters, scoring 19 points on 6-of-16 (37.5%) shooting and a 7-for-10 mark from the free throw line. Antetokounmpo also pulled down seven rebounds and had two assists.

Members of the Bucks were not made available to media via remote access after the game.

Budenholzer back on bench

After watching the preseason opener in general manager Jon Horst’s suite at Fiserv Forum, Budenholzer joked he never wanted to watch a game from that vantage point again. Budenholzer is recovering from offseason right ankle replacement, and he said before the game he’d be back on the court and sharing some duties with associate head coach Charles Lee.

Lee was the one roving the sideline as Budenholzer occupied the first chair of coaches.

“It’ll be something to try. Maybe use it more when I’m healthy,” Budenholzer said before the game.

Wesley Matthews remains out for Bucks

The veteran guard tweaked an ankle during the first week of training camp and missed the preseason opener Oct. 1, and he was held out again Thursday. He was the team representative to address the crowd in Abu Dhabi, however, along with the Hawks’ Trae Young.

5 numbers

2

Consecutive preseason starts for Bobby Portis with Khris Middleton out injured.

3

Holiday brothers playing in the game, with Milwaukee’s Jrue and Atlanta’s Justin and Aaron suiting up.

5-5

How Bucks guard Jevon Carter started from behind the three-point line on his way to scoring 17 points through three quarters.

16

Bucks turnovers, leading to 25 Hawks points.

25

Points for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, who made his debut for his new team.

Did you notice the Bucks defense?

The Bucks decided over the offseason to try and limit the three-point attempts of opponents, which is a departure from the first five years of the Budenholzer era in Milwaukee. Since his arrival, which coincided with the signing of Brook Lopez, the focus for the Bucks has been on rim protection and defending without fouling. But the coach admitted a change was necessary after the team defense slipped to the middle of the league and they were shot out of the playoffs thanks to Boston’s incessant attempts — and makes — from long distance.

Such adjustments are what training camp and the preseason are for, but even with a veteran group it will take time for the players to get used their new rules on defense.

The Bucks did a good job with that against Atlanta in limiting the Hawks to just 3-for-14 from behind the three-point line in the first half and 7-for-22 (31.8%) for the game. But the Bucks also fouled the Hawks three times behind the line. Atlanta also took advantage of the Bucks’ lack of help by peppering the paint and shooting at or above 60% from the field for the bulk of the first half before finishing the opening 24 minutes at 55.6% (25-for-45).

The Bucks' starters played deep into the third quarter and the Hawks continued to shoot near 60% while Holiday, Antetokounmpo, Lopez, Portis, Allen and top bench players Pat Connaughton and George Hill saw time. Atlanta matched Milwaukee with 44 points in the paint.

Play of the game

It was actually a sequence of plays, featuring the two superstars on the court. It began as the clock wound down on the first half, with Atlanta's Young pushing the ball up quickly. Jrue Holiday stepped up to defend, but Young quickly crossed him over for an unobstructed layup. Holiday quickly pulled the ball out of the net and fired an inbound pass to Antetokounmpo, who then streaked to the other end and blew past two Hawks defenders for a three-point play.

Video of the game

John Collins goes sky-high against the Bucks defense.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giannis makes his preseason debut in Bucks loss to Hawks in Abu Dhabi